Van Andel Institute to host 2016 National Postdoctoral Association Annual Meeting

Grand Rapids, Mich. (April 7, 2014) – The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) has selected Van Andel Institute (VAI) as the location for its 2016 annual meeting, which will bring together hundreds of postdoctoral fellows and institutional representatives from across the country. The meeting is slated for March 4-6, 2016.

The decision to hold the meeting at VAI, which is located in the heart of the Grand Rapids Medical Mile, was officially announced during the 2014 meeting, held April 4-6 in St. Louis, Mo. VAI was chosen from among 10 applicants based a number of criteria, including facilities for talks, poster sessions and breakout meetings, location and area amenities, and the institute’s reputation of excellence.

“The NPA is very excited that Van Andel Institute will host the 2016 NPA Annual Meeting. Van Andel Institute submitted a competitive proposal that illustrated its willingness to collaboratively plan a meeting that will provide the tools necessary to accomplish the NPA’s mission— to improve the postdoctoral experience by supporting enhanced research training,” said Belinda Lee Huang, Ph.D., executive director of the NPA. “The NPA respects Van Andel Institute’s endeavor to provide future researchers the opportunity to uncover new technologies and discoveries. Grand Rapids is a great location to host the annual meeting as Van Andel Institute and the Medical Mile offer unique opportunities for partnership amongst various institutions.”

Hosting the meeting is a great honor for VAI, which supports its own Postdoctoral Association and is a sustaining member of NPA. Although specific plans still are in development, the 2016 meeting will be an opportunity for postdoctoral fellows to network, attend valuable workshops and learn from one another.

“The NPA meeting is an important development opportunity for postdoctoral fellows,” said Dr. Peter Jones,
Van Andel Research Institute’s research director. “Postdocs are a vital part of VAI’s research efforts. We’re excited to use this opportunity to further enhance the postdoctoral experience for fellows at VAI as well as at other institutions.”

In addition to being listed as one of the best places to work in academia by The Scientist in 2010, VAI was named one of the best places to work as a postdoctoral fellow in 2009 and 2011. The Institute is committed to providing postdoctoral fellows with a high quality experience that trains them to function as independent scientific professionals.

For more information on VAI’s postdoctoral program, please visit www.vai.org/vari/postdoctoral.

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About Van Andel Institute

Established by Jay and Betty Van Andel in 1996, Van Andel Institute is an independent research and educational organization based in Grand Rapids, Mich. Through biomedical research and science education, Van Andel Institute is committed to improving the health and enhancing the lives of current and future generations. Find out more about Van Andel Institute or donate by visiting www.vai.org. 100% To Research, Discovery & Hope®

The National Postdoctoral Association

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) educational association headquartered in Washington, D.C. Founded in 2003, the NPA seeks to provide a national voice for postdoctoral scholars; to facilitate positive change for postdocs; and thereby to advance the research enterprise in the United States. The association has close to 2,800 individual members and 190 institutional members across the U.S. For more information, please visit www.nationalpostdoc.org.